12-10-13 – TTF – Top 50 HS Players - 13. Mac Marshall, LHP, Parkview HS (GA) -
One of the better southpaws in the 2014 MLB draft, Marshall’s fastball sits in
the low/mid-90s and he has worked hard on his delivery and command over the
past year. He also flashed a potential plus curveball at the Perfect Game
Nationals. At 6’-2” and 185 pounds, he is a great athlete who has been clocked
at 6.7 in the 60. As a junior, he had 80 K/32 BB over 46 innings for one of the
premiere programs in the country. Committed to LSU. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50/40532#zz88YJZTOG8iEa1Z.99

B/R – 11-21-13 - 18. New York Yankees: Nick Gordon, SS/RHP, Olympia HS (Fla.) - The son of former MLB
closer Tom Gordon and brother to Dodgers shortstop Dee, Nick Gordon is one of
the more intriguing prospects in this year’s draft class due to his high upside
on both sides of the ball. At 6’1”, 170 pounds, Gordon is an outstanding
athlete with the speed and defensive chops to likely remain at shortstop long
term. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has good bat speed and barrel
control but lacks projectable over-the-fence pop. On the mound, the
right-handed pitcher can pop 92-94 mph with his fastball and spin an
above-average curve. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1860341-2014-mlb-mock-draft-early-first-round-projections-for-all-30-teams/page/10

12-9-13 – Pine Tar Press-3- RHP Tyler Kolek Shepherd HS (TCU commit) 12/28/95- Big Texas kid with
the quintessential “Texas body” who arrived late on the scene in baseball
circles because he missed his junior campaign with a broken left arm. He
arrived when he threw 97 at an Area Codes Game tryout and followed that up as a
late arrival to the PG National at the Metrodome. His power arm is still
finding command of his secondary pitches but it looks like the slider might end
up being his second offering. His younger brother, Stephen looks to be a high
pick in 2015. (White Sox @ 3) http://pinetarpress.com/early-look-2014-mlb-draft/

9-1-13 – Petco Game - Stone
Garrett (OF) (R/R) 6’2″ 190; Grad: 2014 Sugar Land, TX Intriguing athlete with
loose, muscular build. Quick bat w/flat bat plane through hitting zone. Shows
pull-side power in BP and at his best when living in the gaps in game mode.
AAspeed and a better runner underway.
Relies on athleticism in OF and still learning reads/routes. Avg. arm. Toolsy
player with athletic upside. Quality make-up should allow him toreach his potential. http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/09/01/aflac-game-wrap-up-better-late-than-never/

Yankees GM Brian Cashman says that the club will not sign Stephen Drew, reports Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com (via Twitter). After missing out on Omar Infante, New York had been rumored to be considering a run at the free agent infielder.

There's a good chance I have all the pitchers that have a chance of making a Mets rotation in the next seven years. Obviously, with nine affiliates, I have left some out, but these are the guys that have a good chance of becoming a major league pitcher some day.I highlighted in red where the numbers stand out: ERA+ - adjusts pitchers ERA to ballpark WAR - determines the player's total contributions to their team, be it baserunning, batting, fielding, and/or pitchingBABIP - measures how many of the hitter's 'balls in play' get through for hits FIP - short of 'Fielding independent Pitching', it converts a pitcher's three tue outcomes into an earned run average-like number xFIP - Expected Fielding Independent Pitching - calculates the same way as FIP, but replaces the number of home runs with the amount they should have allowedThere's 21 names on this list. That's amazing. And frankly, other than Matt Harvey, some of the more impressive numbers are from kids like Gabriel Ynoa.My guess is that at least 10 of these guys will be dealt off for key every day players to help fill out the team. Don't be surprised if the Mets don't continue to concentrate their drafting efforts on the mound.I did include one pitcher that hasn't produced positive stats let (Andrew Church), but last year's second round pick does project as a mid-rotation starter and, in the opinions of draft experts, was a solid pick by the Mets.Matt Harvey – MLB – 2013 – 157/ERA+ - 6.1/WAR
– .280/BABIP – 2.00/FIP –
2.63/xFIP

•Jeurys Familia, RHP, Mets (Gigantes del Cibao, DWL): 2 IP, H, 4 K. Familia
hasn’t thrown a lot this winter, but when he has, he’s been lights out, missing
a ton of bats and flashing the mid-to-upper -90s velocity that has scouts
raving. You can’t put a lot of stock in winter league performances, but you can
put a ton of stock in young pitchers returning from injury and regaining
velocity and missing bats. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22483

David
Schoenfield –

Finally, let’s talk about outfielder Marlon
Byrd. A 30-something slugger who owes a big chunk of his power
production to Texas’ home park leaves after 2009, has two disappointing seasons
with the Cubs, then falls over a cliff in his age-34 season. And that’s it for
him, right? Not at all: Byrd’s big bounce-back in 2013 after earning a job with
the Mets in spring training made him a key stretch pickup for the Pirates. His
combined .511 slugging percentage made him this winter’s quick addition to the
fast-acting Phillies for two years (or three if a 2016 option vests) at $8
million per annum.

There are all sorts of “that won’t be easy” warning signs
about Byrd’s 2013. Can he repeat a career-high .220 Isolated Power clip as a
36-year-old? Or a .353 batting average on balls in play, his best mark since
his breakthrough 2007 season with the Rangers? Or a career-best 11.1 percent
clip of homers on fly balls? It’s notable that Byrd has become a significantly
different, more aggressive batsman with age, striking out a career-high 24.9
percent of the time last season while his unintentional walk rate plummeted to
5 percent, while also becoming a more pronounced fly-ball hitter. http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/43190/who-cant-top-what-they-did-in-2013

Mack – This is part of an article called ‘Who
can't top what they did in 2013? ‘. There’s no way in hell Byrd is going to
make the Phillies investment of $8mil a year a wise one. The Mets got the ‘best
last year’ out of this guy and I love the fact that his new paycheck is coming
out of the pocket of David Montgomery.

A Question from
‘Anonymous’ -

Hey Mack - my question comes from out of left
field - about a 2nd baseman - what do you think of Danny
Muno? Statistically (OBP, runs, RBIs) he had a great season in AA from
June on. I know there is a 2B logjam, but what do you see as his major league
potential? Possible starting 2B somewhere? Good utility guy? His name never
comes up, and it is incredible to me how much you seem to know about so many
current prospects and future draftees.

Mack – Thanks for the question
(please join the site under some form of name so we can identify you with your
thoughts on the Mets).

Muno was a four-year college player
out of Fresno State, which put him behind the eight ball the day he became a
Met. The unofficial age limit for a ‘prospect’ is 24 and Muno arrived in
Brooklyn already being 22.

(This is what I hate about the way
the Mets handle some of their college picks. Why are you starting a 22-year old
in rookie ball? Most teams would have had a player like Muno at the A+ level,
or they would have passed on a second baseman at the college level and went
high school to fill the Cyclones slot)

Anyway, Muno turned heads at
Brooklyn... playing shortstop… (220-AB,
.355, 23-doubles) and the Mets bumped him two levels in 2012 to St. Lucie.

Lucy went well (289-AB,
.280/.38/.412/.799, 50-BB. He eventually became the full time second baseman in
Florida (8-E, 55-G, .961).

And then there was Binghamton in
2013. We talk about this all the time… higher level, better pitching, changing
strike zones, pain in the ass umpires. Muno had a miserable start of a season
that included hitting .179 in May. He turned hot in July (.329) and finished
off the season at .249 in 449-at bats. He’s projected to be the starting second
baseman in Las Vegas come this spring.

Sadly, except for emergency backup,
his professional shortstop days are past him. Can he make it at the major
league level?

I always liked his bat and compared
it to Josh Satin. Like Satin, you need a couple of
lucky breaks to get a shot. Muno has an outside chance to become a utility
player in 2015 for the Mets, but, past that might be a stretch. He really
offers no help at third and my guess is Wilfredo Tovar will
step up and become the Justin Turner of 2014.

John
Sickles –

SS Gregorio
Petit:

In 2010 he was traded to Texas and hit
.251/.316/.342 with their AAA affiliate before becoming a free agent. He then
lost all of 2011 to a knee injury and hooked on with Cleveland for the 2012
season. He hit .260/.320/.403 over 111 games, knocking a career high 10 homers
as a 27 year old. He spent the year back in AAA for this past season and hit
.292/.344/.380 with San Diego's affiliate in Tucson. Add it all up and you get
a plus defender with the resume to back it and a bottom of the order hitter. As
a back up middle infielder or even a defense-first starter, I believe Petit
could hold his own offensively and excel defensively if given a chance at the
big league level. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/12/30/5252780/prospecting-for-minor-league-fa-middle-infielders

Mack – I just thought you would
find it interesting what free agent utility infielders are still out there.

BA –

Another one of Cuba’s best players has left the island, the
latest in a wave of defections that isn’t expected to slow down. Rusney Castillo, a 26-year-old center fielder who had been
one of the top players in Cuba, has left the country to pursue a contract with
a major league team, Baseball America has learned. Castillo is short but has a
strong, athletic frame at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds. His best tool is his speed, as
he’s an above-average runner and one of the better base stealers in Cuba. More
of a doubles hitter than a big home run threat, Castillo puts a charge into the
ball with a line-drive righthanded swing, though he can get long to the ball at
times and some scouts think he’s prone to chasing pitches off the plate.
Primarily a center fielder in Cuba, Castillo has also played some second and
third base, so his versatility could be a draw for some teams. He’s an
aggressive, high-energy player, though some teams see him as a fourth
outfielder. http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/defection-of-top-cuban-outfielder-rusney-castillo-could-shake-up-market/

LJ Mazzilli -

To all my Friends and Family on Facebook. I am
deleting my Facebook and my other social medias for a little while to focus on
more physical things in my life.

Rigo Terrazas -

San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora. - The Young sanluisino Rigoberto Terrazas Paramo, 17, will be making his
lifelong dream of traveling to Dominican Republic, where he will be for 1 month
and a half in the team training MLB, Mets New York. This talented sanluisino
player, who was signed as a pitcher for the Red Devils but in the city of
Monterrey, Nuevo León, was seen by the great Mexican player, one of the best
short stop Jose Luis "El Borrego" Sandoval, who commanded Terrazas to
unfold at shortstop, leaving "El Borrego" Sandoval struck by the
elegance which carried this important prospect on the king of sports position. Quickly
José Luis Sandoval spoke to the team leaders Diablos Rojos del Mexico, a team
that played more than 20 years and explained that Terrazas had Rigoberto
further from shortstop to pitcher and would be as productive as infield, as his
excellent glove when catching the ball was remarkable. http://www.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/notas/n3109380.htm

BP –

•Dee
Gordon, UTIL, Dodgers (Indios de Mayaguez, PRWL): 3-4, R, K. The most notable
thing about this performance by Gordon isn’t the three hits but that he was
playing second base and has seen some time there this winter. We also know that
he’s been working out in center field in addition to his natural shortstop
position. He may never hit enough to play regularly, but a player with plus-plus
base-running ability that can fill in at shortstop and center field has some
value, and if he can also back-up at second base, well that’s a plus. Think of
a faster Desi Relaford. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22483

7-22-13 - Perfect
Game USA ‏@PerfectGameUSA- 2014 Kel
Johnson just drilled a HR to put the East Cobb Braves on top. Ball comes off
his bat different. Wow! #PGTourney

7-24-13-Kel
Johnson, of/1b, Homeschooled, Palmetto, Ga./FTB Mizuno - Johnson showed
toughness and determination battling through a stomach virus during TOS. He has
strength throughout his large 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. The Georgia Tech
commit’s calling card is his bat. Johnson, who has a loud setup with lots of
moving parts and unique timing mechanisms for his hands and front leg, has good
bat speed with a swing path conducive to power—especially to his pull side. He
has above-average raw power and can put on a show in batting practice. The
righthanded hitter is faster than quick and has enough arm and speed to handle
an outfield corner. Johnson is homeschooled, a rarity for potential pro
prospects. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/tyler-koleks-heavy-fastball-among-tournament-of-stars-standouts/

8-11-13 -
Player:Kel JohnsonPrimary Position:OFSecondary Position(s):1BHeight/Weight:6’4/215Bats/Throws:R/R Date of Birth:7/8/1995Home Town:Palmetto, GASchool:Home SchoolTravel Team(s):East Cobb Braves Class of:2014Committed To:Georgia Tech = Scouting Notes: - 2013
Tournament of Stars notes from Don Olsen: - Kel is a tall proportional lean
athletic frame with strength in the wrists and forearms.He shows some projection, could gain another
20-25 pounds in a Jayson Werth type mold.Defensively, he has a good deal of arm strength and carries, routinely
ropes it.Good first step and reacts
well off the ball, logically a RF down the line.Bat stands out, extremely loud contact with a
ton of backspin that leads to a great deal of raw power, easily in the plus
grade and could rise higher. He displays outstanding pull power, and power to
all fields.In game approach, works
with good pitch recognition and turns on good velocity with line drive power, pulls
mistakes with power.Sometimes stretches
the zone, but shows the ability to drive the RCF gap, should be at least
average contact, maybe above average with maturation. Speed should be at least
average, good instinctive player on the bags, moves well, good double
potential.Kel has across the board
average to above average tools with a chance to plus, maybe higher power. http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/08/11/2014-mlb-draft-profile-kel-johnson/

8-14-13 –
Through The Fence – Top 50 Prospects – 35. Kel Johnson, OF, Home School, (GA) -
A 6’-4”, 210-pound right-hander who has been a fixture on Perfect Game
tournaments, Johnson is home schooled by his parents and plays for the East
Cobb Braves — one of the premiere youth baseball operations in the country.
Power would be his best tool right now as he generates a ton of it with his
strong wrists and bat speed. A player who you come to watch hit batting practice.
Finished second to Gatewood in the home run derby at Citi Field, hitting 11 in
total. Committed to Georgia Tech. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50-prospects/36463#mwWwsFxSUZy7YC5V.99

9-4-13 –
Mack’s Mock Draft v1.0 – 19 –OF Kel
Johnson – Home School (GA) – This is easiest the most talented home schooled
ballplayer in the history of the game. Plays for the legendary travel team, the
East Coast Braves. As one scout said, ‘you go out just to see this guy hit
batting practice’.A ton of raw power.

9-11-13 -
Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 13.Kel Johnson – OF, Palmetto
(GA)http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/
9-30-13 – TTF Mock 2.0 - 37. Milwaukee Brewers — Kel Johnson, OF, Home School,
(GA)A 6’-4”, 210-pound right-hander who
has been a fixture on Perfect Game tournaments, Johnson is home schooled by his
parents and plays for the East Cobb Braves — one of the premiere youth baseball
operations in the country. Power would be his best tool right now as he
generates a ton of it with his strong wrists and bat speed. A player who you
come to watch hit batting practice. Finished second to Gatewood in the home run
derby at Citi Field, hitting 11 in total. Committed to Georgia Tech. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-mock-draft-2-0-draft-order-set/38280#5E3F5j1jWOgE69bJ.99

10-28-13 –
Jim Callis - East Cobb's top 2014 Draft prospect, left fielder Kel Johnson
(home-schooled in Palmetto, Ga.), didn't do much on Saturday. He went 0-for-3,
grounding out and striking out on a 77-mph breaking ball against Blewett. He
has tremendous raw power, but the Georgia Tech recruit will have to show he'll
hit enough to get to it consistently. http://ht.ly/qeYJz